This Year in Music Thus far!

So, to be blunt, this year has been blessed by the music gods. The amount of amazing music that has come out thus far is ridiculous, particularly since we are only just past the mid point. It could really only get better were Radiohead, Broken Social Scene, The National, and Los Campesinos! to put out their new albums. In any case here are all the notable releases and a list of the best of the best.

(Somewhat divided by genre and have grades to go with level of awesome):

Hip-Hop:
The Ecstatic by Mos Def (A-)
Born Like This by Doom (A-)
Lp by Discovery (B+)
Sounds of Apollo by N.A.S.A (B)

Punk/Hard Rock (yes I count Pop Punk):
Now We Can See by The Thermals (A)
Fortress Round My Heart by Ida Maria (A-)
Everything to Nothing by Manchester Orchestra (B+)
The Eternal by the Sonic Youth (B+)
Swoon by the Silversun Pickups (B)
Wavves by Wavves (B)
Crack the Sky by Mastodon (B)

Alternative Rock:
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix by Phoenix (A+++)
Fantasies by Metric (A)
It's Blitz by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (A-)
It's Frightening by the White Rabbits (A-)
Actor by St. Vincent (A-)
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart by The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (B+)
Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective (B)
Grand by Matt and Kim (B)

Singer-Songwriter (Americana as well):
Middle Cyclone by Neko Case (A)
Two Suns by Bat for Lashes (A)
The Crying Light by Antony and the Johnsons (A)
Noble Beast by Andrew Bird (A)
Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear (B+)
Far by Regina Spector (B+)
Working on a Dream by Bruce Springsteen (B)

Electronic:
Junior by Royksopp (A)
Bromst by Dan Deacon (A-)
Fever Ray by Fever Ray (B)
The E.N.D by The Black Eyed Peas (B-)

?:
Bitte Orca by Dirty Projectors (B+)
The Happiness Project by Charles Spearin (B)

Top Ten albums So Far:
1. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, by Phoenix
2. Middle Cyclone, by Neko Case
3. The Crying Light, by Antony and the Johnsons
4. Two Suns, by Bat for Lashes
5. Now We Can See, by The Thermals
6. Noble Beast, by Andrew Bird
7. Fantasies, by Metric
8. Junior, by Royksopp
9.The Ecstatic, by Mos Def
10. Fortress Round My Heart by Ida Maria

Do check some of them out!